Salsas and Tacos New Mexican Cuisine Cookbook

New Mexican cuisine has never quite fit into a single box — it draws from Spanish colonial kitchens, indigenous corn and chile traditions, Mexican border cooking, and the open-fire pragmatism of American cattle country. Salsas and Tacos from Gibbs Smith is the cookbook that leans into that complexity rather than smoothing it over. Assembled by Susan Curtis, founder of the Santa Fe School of Cooking, and a team of serious culinary instructors, this is a recipe collection built around one of the most genuinely layered regional food cultures in the country — and it arrives with over 50 recipes that range from rooted classics to combinations you won't see coming.

The salsa and taco format is a smart frame. It's specific enough to give the book real focus, but flexible enough to carry the full range of New Mexican flavors — bright acids, slow-roasted chiles, fresh herbs, char. Whether you're planning a dinner around a few standout dishes or working through the collection recipe by recipe, the depth here holds up.

• Over 50 recipes covering salsas and tacos across a wide spectrum of New Mexican culinary traditions
• Curated by Susan Curtis, founder of the Santa Fe School of Cooking, with contributions from a team of specialized culinary instructors
• Cultural range spanning Spanish, Mexican, Native American, and American Cowboy food traditions — treated with specificity, not as backdrop
• Unexpected combinations alongside familiar favorites — Grapefruit-Orange Salsa and Apple Pie Tacos sit alongside established classics like Roasted Tomato Salsa
• Technique-forward instruction from instructors who teach this cuisine professionally, not as enthusiasts
• Accessible for home cooks who want real results — not simplified versions of authentic dishes, but dishes that work in a home kitchen
• Published by Gibbs Smith, a press with a long track record in regional American food and craft books

Care and handling: The Gibbs Smith Salsas and Tacos cookbook is a hardcover or paperback volume — store it upright on a shelf away from direct heat sources like stovetop splatter zones or direct sun, both of which will fade the spine and warp the cover over time. Wipe down with a dry or barely damp cloth if the cover picks up kitchen residue. For a cookbook that's going to see real use, a clear protective sleeve is worth considering. This is the kind of New Mexican cuisine reference that earns a permanent spot within reach of the stove rather than filed away.